Bourdon steam-gage.



No.-7'79,812. PATENTED JAN. 10, 1905.

W. I. STAAF.

BOURBON STEAM GAGE.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.19, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l- PATENTED JAN. 10, 1905.

W. I. STAAP.

BOURDON STEAM GAGE.

4 APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 19. 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W hQM/ @MOKW Jib/W No. 779,812. PATENTED J-AN.10, 1905. W. I. ST-AAP.BOURBON STEAM GAGE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.19. 1904.

' 4SHEETS-SHEET a.

IEUD No. 779,812. PATENTED JAN. 10, 1995. W. I. STAAP.

BOURBON STEAM GAGE.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 19. 1904.

4 SHEETS--BHEET 4.

No. 779,812. Patented January 10, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WERNER I. STAAF, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO PITTS- BURGGAGE AND SUPPLY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA.

BOURDON STEAM-GAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,812, dated January10, 1905.

Application filed February 19, 1904. Serial No. 194,327.

To all whom it m y COW/067%! 14 a plan view of the registering-dial foruse Be it known that I, WERNER I. STAAF, a with the mechanism of Fig.12. 5 citizen of the United States, residing at Pitts- The registeringportion of my invention is burg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofinclosed within a circular casing having the Pennsylvania, have inventedor discovered base or bottom 1 and the round or flange-like new anduseful Improvements in Bourdon side 2, supportedon the base. Theglasscover Steam-Gages, of which the following is a 3 is clamped on the topof the side 2 by means specification. of a screw-ring 4. At the lowerside or the My invention relates to Bourdon gages. side 2 is the socket5, having the two lateral The objects of my invention are, first, toears 6, through alined holes in which and the produce a gage of thattype provided with side 2 the screws 7 are passed to secure the twosprings or arms, either or both of which socket to the side. The portion8 of the side 60 may be connected with the pressure to be 2 is separablefrom the main body thereof registered; second, to permit or allow inandmay be secured to the shank 9 of the stant drainage of either or bothsprings when socket by the screw 10. The upper end or either or bothsprings are disconnected from head of the socket has opposite lateralholes the pressure; third, to provide a valve by 11 somewhat ellipticalin cross-section, in 5 which the aforesaid objects may be attained;which are brazed or otherwise secured the fourth, to combine into anintegral construclower ends of the hollow curved Bourdon tion thevalve-casing and the socket or head springs 12 and 13. The holes 11 donot meet to which the springs are attached; fifth, to each other in thesocket, but each communiprovide a Bourdon gage with two arms, one cateswith a passage running longitudinally 7 registering vacuum and lowpressures and the downward to a rotary valve 14. The hollow other highpressures; sixth, to make a novel of spring 12 communicates with thepassage 2 5 dial from which these three indications may 15 in the socketand the hollow of spring 13 be read, and, seventh, to provide mechanismwith the passage 16. whereby the indicating or registering mech- Securedto the base 1 is aplate 17, on which 75 anism may be adjusted. ismounted the two posts 18, supporting the Referring to the drawings,Figure 1 is a top plate 19. Journaled in the plates 17 and 3 plan Viewof one form of my invention, show- 19 is the index-spindle 20, havingthe spring ing both springs substantially alike, the dial 21 to returnthe pointer 22 on the spindle back and the parts above it being removed;Figs. to Zero of the scale. The spindle carries a v 2 and 3, sections onthe lines 2 2 and 3 3 of pinion 23, which gears with the segment 24,Fig. 1, the dial and parts above being in place; secured in the block 25on the spindle'26, piv- Figs. 4 and 5 sections on the lines 4 4 and 5 5oted in the plates 17 and 19. To the bottom of Fig. 1; 'Fig. 6, asection through the valve of the block 25 is secured the plate 27,slotted and socket on the line 6 6 of Fig. 7; Fig. 7, a for thereception and adjustment on the spin- 5 section on the line 7 7 of Fig.6; Figs. 8, 9, dle 26. The block has an arm 28, through a and 10,sections through the passages in the slot 29 in which the screws 30 arepassed to 4 valve and its casing, showing the valve in its secure theplate 27 at any selected place. To different positions; Fig. 11, asideand end view the top of the block 25 is secured a plate 31,

-' of the valve; Fig. 12, a plan view of a second having the slot 32,through which screws 33 9 form of my invention, wherein I employ passinto the block. The plate 31 can be adsprings of different strengths,the stronger justed longitudinally by means of the said one for usewhere high pressure is to be screws. The right-hand end of the plate 27measured and the weaker one where vacuum is connected bya link 34 to oneof the springs, or low pressure is to be measured; Fig. 13, a as 13, andthe plate 31 is connected to the section on the line 13 13 of Fig. 12,and Fig. other spring, as 12, by the link 35, the latper being shown intwo sections, made adjustable by the slot 36 and set-screw 37. The links34 and 35 have slots 38 at the joint connecting them to the springs 12and 13 in order that the action of one spring may operate the pointer,if the other spring is not in use. By adjusting the plates 27 and 31 andthe sections of the link 35, if necessary, the pointer can be caused toindicate the same pressure, whether either or both springs are in use.If the spring 12 only be in use, the pressure within it will slightlystraighten it, causing the link 35 to rise and a registration to bemade. At the same time the link 34 will rise, its slot 38 moving up onits pivotal connection with the spring 13. In case both springs are inuse each link will be lifted by its respective spring.

39 represents the dial-plate beneath the pointer 22,and 40 is a stop-pinto preventthe segment 24 passing out of mesh with the pinion 23.

The valve 14 is a rotary plug having transversely through it the passage41, having the two branches 42 and 43. The passage 41 extends from theperiphery well into the body of the valve and then forks in the branches42 and 43, which are capable of registering, respectively, with thepassages 15 and 16, as shown in F ig. 10. When the passages 15 and 16register with the branch passages 42 and 43, the passage 41 registerswith the passage 44 in the lower part of the shank 9. The passage 44 isto be connected to'a source of pressure to be measured. When the valvestands as in Fig. 10, the pressure is admitted to both springs 12 and13, whereupon both links 34 and 36 take part in operating the pointer22. WV hen the valve is turned as in Fig. 8. pressure is admitted to thespring 13 only by way of the passage 16. The passage 15 is at the sametime connected with the passage 45 in the valve, the latter passageopening freely to the atmosphere at the end thereof, which is spaced at46 slightly from the back of the valve-casing, as shown in Fig. 7 thespace 46 being provided with the vent 47 open to the air. When the valveis turned as in Fig. 9, the pressure passes by way of passage 15 to thespring 12, and the passage 16 and spring 13 are open to the air by wayof the passage 48 in the valve, the space 46, and the vent 47.

The vent 47, the space 46, and the passages 45, 48, and 49 act asexhaust-passages for the springs and connected passages 15 and 16. Ifboth springs have been in use, as indicated in Fig. 10, and both are tobe cut oil", the turning of the valve to cause the exhaust-passages 45and 49 to register with the passages 15 and 16 atonce allows the steamor gas in the springs to expand and force all the liquid out, so thatthere will be no liability of the passages being stopped with ice or anypart of the gage being broken by ice. When only one spring is in use,the other spring is permitted to discharge freely all gases and liquidstherein. If for any reason one of the springs 12 or 13 should becomeinaccurate or damaged, the valve can be at once turned and the otherspring used without in the least impairing the accuracy of the gage orwithout requiring a new gage to be put in. In case it is desired to useone spring only at a time the other spring will at all times be readywhen needed.

As shown on Fig. 1, the end of the valve has a triangular stem 50,carrying the indexarrow 51. The letters L, R, S, and D around thevalve-stem and on the valvecasing are arranged so that when the index 51stands at L the left-hand spring is supplied with the pressure, as inFig. 9, when it stands at R the right-hand spring is in communicationwith the pressure, as in Fig. 8, when it stands at S both springs areshut 011 from pressure, as in Figs. 6 and 'T, and when it stands at Dboth springs are open to pressure, as in Fig. 10.

On Sheet 4 of the drawings the mechanism is precisely the same as on theother sheets, except one of the springs is constructed of thinner ordifferent material or otherwise so constructed that it will be sensitiveto lower pressures than the other spring or will even indicatevacuum-pressures.

In Figs. 12 and 13 the spring 12' is lighter than the spring 13 andwould be used only when the valve-index is turned to L, or so that thepressure is admitted to the spring 12' only. The pointer 22 will in thiscase be read only in connection with the inner circle 52 of readings(shown running from O to thirty pounds) and are intended only for lowpressures, (indicated by LP on Fig. 14,) If, as often occurs atgas-wells, a vacuum should exist, the pointer would move in the oppositedirection along the fine scale 53, (marked VAC on Fig. 14.) In casepressure is supplied to the spring 13 only the readings will be takenfrom the outer circle 54, which runs from 0 to one thousand pounds. Theprovision of the inner or second scale of a short range is valuable, asthere is usually some slack to be taken up in the mechanism before thepressures will be accurately registered and as it would be practicallyimpossible to read small pressures accurately where a movement of, say,an eighth of an inch by the pointer would indicate ten pounds. With theother scale ten pounds is indicated by a movement of approximatelyone-thirtieth that by Which the same pressure is indicated on the innerscale, So it is easily seen that low and vacuum pres sures can best bemeasured on a separate scale or by a separate numeral on the same scale,

While I have described the precise mech= anisrn shown, I do not desireto be restricted to the same in every particular, as the same may bedeparted from in various Ways, as in the number of parts or theirlocation or size, without in the least departing from the spirit of myinvention.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1.. In a gage, a pair of Bourdonsprings, a movable indicator and means connecting said indicator withboth springs, and means in said connecting means for causing theindicator to be operated by either spring separately or by both jointlyto indicate the pressure.

2. In a gage, a pair of Bourdon springs, a movable indicator, and meansconnecting said indicator with both springs, and means for permittingthe independent adjustment of the action of each spring on theindicator.

3. In a gage, a pair of Bourdon springs, a movable indicator, a slottedslide in a connection between the indicator and each spring, and meansin the slot for adjusting each slide to register correctly the pressurewithin each spring.

4. In a gage, a pair of Bourdon springs, a movable indicator, and aconnection from the indicator to each spring, each connection includinga loose joint which permits one spring alone to operate the indicator.

5. In a gage, a pair of Bourdon springs, a movable indicator, and aconnection between each spring and the indicator, each connectionincluding a link with a loose slotted joint which permits one springalone to operate the indicator. I

6. In a gage, a pair of Bourdon springs, a movable indicator, anoscillating device to operate the indicator, and links connecting thesaid device to each spring, said links having a loose sliding connectionwith the springs whereby one spring alone may operate the indicator.

7 In a gage, a pair of independent Bourdon springs, and a valveconnecting each spring separately or both springs concurrently to thepressure to be measured.

8. In a gage, a pair of independent Bourdon springs and a valveconnecting either spring to the pressure to be measured, and forconnecting with the external air the spring not so connected.

9. In a gage, a pair of independent Bourdon springs and a valveconnecting both springs with the pressure to be measured and forconnecting both springs with the external air, each spring having aseparate passage leading entirely to the valve.

10. In a gage,apair of independent springs, a socket carrying thesprings and provided with separate passages leading to the springs, avalve in the socket, provided with passages permitting either or bothsprings to be in use and with other passages whereby either or both ofthe springs may be connected with the external air.

11. In a gage,'a pair of independent Bourdon springs, a valve forsupplying or cutting off pressure to either or both springs at will, anindicator on the valve and a series of marks around the valve tocooperate with said indicator to show the position of the valve.

12. In a gage, a single indicating means, a pair of independent Bourdonsprings, and means connecting the springs with the inclicator, saidconnecting means containing provision to permit the indicator to bemoved by either spring.

13. In a gage, a single indicating means, a pair of independent Bourdonsprings, and

- means connecting the springs with the indicator said connecting meanscontaining provision to permit the indicator to be moved by eitherspring separately or by both jointly.

Signed at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania,this th day of February, 1904.

WERNER I. STAAF. Witnesses:

F. N. BARBER, A. M. STEEN.

